Aniket was staring at his laptop screen as if his breath had frozen right there.

  Something was still loading.

  The file being downloaded wasn’t ordinary — Aniket was illegally hacking into a government website to retrieve it.

  Just a few more moments and the file would’ve finished downloading — but before that, there was a knock at the door.

  Aniket made a face and glanced toward the door with annoyance, choosing to ignore the sound.

  Another knock followed.

  He muttered to himself, “Why is it that just when you’re about to be rewarded for your long penance, someone always shows up to break your focus?!”

  And then came a voice along with the knock, “Aniket?! Are you in there?!”

  He almost knocked over his chair trying to get up. Half-running toward the door, he paused, turned back, and gently shut the laptop lid halfway.

  “Coming, Dad!” he called out, forcing a calm into his tone.

  He took a breath, fixed his hair.

  Hearing Shekhar’s voice, Aniket didn't want to waste even a second.

  He opened the door quickly to find Shekhar and Aditya standing outside — though half of his mind was still fixated on his laptop.

  Aditya noticed and asked, “Were you working on something important?”

  Aniket forced a smile and replied, “Not really! Nothing important at all…”

  In a calm tone, Shekhar said, “If it’s office work, take your time. Aditya was leaving, so we thought we’d drop by to see you.”

  An awkward silence followed.

  Then, as if it weighed him down to say it, Aniket exhaled sharply.

  “Uh… Dad, actually... about the job… I resigned this morning.”

  Aditya, surprised, said, “Seriously?! But why… why so suddenly?”

  Shekhar’s expression barely changed, and that confused both Aniket and Aditya.

  Stolen story; please report.

  Looking away, Aniket said, “There was a fight with a senior at work… so I quit.

  Anyway… since I’m free now, I was thinking…”

  His hands were behind his back, clutched together tightly.

  Eyes still on the floor, he asked, “Dad… how long are you in town?”

  With a blank stare, Shekhar replied, “I’m flying back tonight.”

  Aniket’s shoulders slumped just a little.

  But he caught himself and quickly replaced the reaction with a nod.

  “I’ll find another job soon,” he said.

  Shekhar glanced around the room. “I might be shifting my head office here in a couple of weeks.

  If you're up for it, there's always a seat for you in my company.”

  Aniket smiled inwardly, thinking, “Well, since I’ve got no other work, I’ve got no problem doing this now.”

  While all this was going on, Aditya stood silently, watching.

  His face had turned grim.

  He took a deep breath and thought to himself: “Are all the men in this family always like this?!

  They clearly want to work together, but neither knows how to ask!

  Shekhar Uncle… he doesn’t even bother to make an excuse.

  And Aniket… his excuse is a petty argument?!

  Am I supposed to believe that?

  Last year, after that huge brawl where Aniket beat up two seniors, he didn’t resign —even they did!

  And now suddenly, over a small fight, he quits?!

  Nonsense. Why can’t these two just admit they want each other’s company?!”

  Aditya turned to leave and said flatly, “Alright then, I’m off.”

  Aniket, confused, asked, “You won’t eat?! We usually eat together…”

  Without looking back, Aditya replied, “No. Eira is still at Anamika’s place. I’m going to pick her up.”

  He paused mid-step when Aniket asked, “But will she come back to your house?

  I doubt it. The girl who left even her own brother to go all the way to the US, just to never see that house again — you think she’ll walk in without drama?”

  Aditya turned just slightly, his expression unreadable.

  “She might not,” he said. “But she sure as hell won’t sleep at Anamika’s. She’ll drive her insane.

  So I’ll bring her here.”

  To this, Shekhar said, “Then bring her here.

  If she refuses to go back to that house, let her stay here.

  We’ll wait for you both at dinner.”

  Aditya smiled and nodded, “Of course, Uncle. I’ll be back soon.”

  Saying that, he left.

  Aniket and Shekhar silently watched him go.

  With a blank expression still on his face, Shekhar looked toward the road and said, “Aaditya knows that what he sees in that house as love, Eira may never see again… and still, he insists on calling that building a home?”

  Aniket looked down, a little saddened, and replied, “Because that house holds different memories for each of them.

  For him, that house is where his parents lived… where love once filled every room.

  For her… it’s where that love died.

  Aditya can’t bear to look at it through her eyes.

  He wants to believe it’s still what it was — before everything changed.”

  Shekhar turned to look at Aniket and tousled his hair with a smile. “You really know your friend well.”

  Then, as he started walking away, he added one last thing, “Just like he’s always been there for you… don’t ever stop being there for him.”

  Aniket watched his father walk away and smiled,

  “Never! I may give up everything — but not him.

  When I had nothing, he was there.

  And when he lost everything, I was with him.

  That’s how it’ll always be.

  Even death can’t break our friendship anymore… Because what we have is imprinted in our hearts — a piece of each other, and memories that time can't erase.”

  The same sparkle that now shone in Aniket’s eyes… was reflected in Aditya’s.

  As Aditya walked toward Anamika’s home, old memories of his parents came flooding back.

  He remembered his parents — warm eyes, tired hands, a quiet home that once felt eternal.

  Some wounds don’t bleed anymore.

  They ache. Quietly.

  And some memories… we don’t want to forget. Even when they hurt.

  The same smiles that comfort us today can become tomorrow’s echoes of loneliness.

  But Aditya had learned to live with that echo.

  He didn’t cry when he remembered them anymore.

  He just smiled — because remembering them in pain felt like dishonor.

  The tragedy didn’t make him angry anymore.

  Not even bitter.

  But it still made him feel helpless.

  So… what really happened that turned Aditya’s home into just a house?What turned his childhood home into a place no one could breathe in anymore?What shattered Eira’s trust in the very walls that once held her bedtime stories?Will those memories ever fade?